


love letters {Clouis}

by LizzyOnEdge



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Love Confessions, Love Letters, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:00:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24396163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizzyOnEdge/pseuds/LizzyOnEdge
Summary: Louis is stuck in his shadows, after he lost his voice.Can Clementine save him from his own darkness?
Relationships: Clementine & Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running), Clementine/Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Kudos: 32





	love letters {Clouis}

**Author's Note:**

> \- will be edited sooner or later -
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy ^^

“ _The night will be over soon”_ was probably the biggest lie Clementine ever heard.

After fighting off Minerva, one of Tenn’s sisters, who were on the raider’s side and got bit in the end, she, AJ and Violet continued making it back to the school. But Clementine was awfully wounded and could barely even stand and with Walkers coming from seemingly every direction, they hadn’t got a chance. So they split up. Sending Violet back to their home alone, AJ insisted on staying with the girl he would never leave behind. And they made it, somehow, but they got lost. Waiting out the herd in a shed the two kids had found, Clementine’s wound got infected. AJ tried his best to keep the fever down, but it was no use. They had to find the others. Or else she was gonna die. Lucky enough Violet and Aasim found them one day later and took them back home, where Clementine collapsed.

-

“Alright, fever’s down, you’re free to stand up. But I dare you, if you overdo yourself, you’ll be back here before you even think about it, okay?”, Ruby put the medicine back into the box and gave the finally back on her feet Clementine a cheeky smile. “We can’t afford to lose you.”

Clementine returned the smile weakly. “I can’t afford to lose _you._ ”

The ginger haired older girl shook her head, laughing and exited the small, wrecked dorm room. The curly brown haired girl sat up and took a look around. Even though the dorm – or to be more exact the whole damn school – had seen better days, she and AJ turned it into a nice little home. With pictures and plants and other kinds of decorations all over the place, it seemed more comfortable than anything Clementine had experienced since the world changed. As her gaze fell onto a small drawing next to the one AJ did, her smile faded. Tenn drew it. He was on the best way to become an incredibly artist someday, but they had to leave the 12-year-old behind with his sister, when he was about to get Violet, who tried to save him, killed. It had been a hard choice for AJ to make, killing his own first best friend. But he had done it anyways and it showed Clementine, that the young child was growing up and in her opinion it was way too soon.

The survivor propped herself up and took a hold of the bunk bed to prevent herself from falling. She hadn’t been standing since they got back. Let alone being able to recognize the room without it being blurry in her eyes. Slowly, she took a few steps to get the feeling back. It was weird. She didn’t feel as weak anymore, but now there was the thought of herself _being_ so weak in the first place. She couldn’t afford that, the others were counting on her.

When Clementine felt stable, she left the room to join her friends in the courtyard.

As she opened the door and warm sunlight caressed her skin, she really began to feel alive again. They were all there. Aasim and Ruby flirting – it was obvious, but if she’d say anything the ginger would deny it – and Violet on the watch tower, while Willy was helping Omar to prepare lunch. AJ stood aside, on the small graveyard. A self-made wooden cross remembered the young boy with the scarred face. Clementine couldn’t even imagine how guilty the youngest of the group must feel. Though he was strong and he would make it through this as well, she knew that.

When the others saw her, they smiled and waved at her. Willy even literally jumped and ran up to her.

“Oh man, Clem! You won’t believe what happened when you were sick! This morning-”

She didn’t even need to listen to what the kid had to say, to know it really wasn’t that incredible of an event. Sometimes Willy reminded her a lot of Duck, a little boy she was friends with, back when she were with Lee. Kenny’s son. Small kid, lot of energy, loud voice. But her face turned concerned, when she continued to look around and couldn’t find the one she was actually looking for.

“Where is Louis?”, she interrupted Willy’s waterfall of words. Immediately the boy turned quiet and looked to the side, visibly uncomfortable.

“Oh”, he said. “I haven’t seen him in days. Violet brings him food though.”

Clementine nodded and left him standing a bit lost in the middle of the yard.

She probably should’ve asked Violet if he was in the music room, but now she was already running through the halls, in the direction of the place where they had first met.

When the raiders came to kidnap all of the kids, Clementine was forced to choose, whether she’d save Violet or Louis. As Violet was closer to reach, she shot the raider that had her first, but when she turned to save Louis as well, it was already too late. They took him and a few other kids, the rest of them rescued them a few days later. But at that point they had cut out Louis’ tongue, because he “talked too much”. She hadn’t seen him since then.

Never in this life would she forgive herself, for not being quicker to act. She wouldn’t blame Louis, if he wouldn’t forgive her either. He was a musician through and through. A pianist and a singer. His voice has made the young girl smile a lot of times. She couldn’t even think of a Louis without his singing.

He’d sing about everything. About the community, his feelings, joy and sadness. About her…

Clementine carefully opened the door to the music room. It was empty and extremely dark. The piano even had dust on it. No, Louis hadn’t been here in a while. She turned around and made her way back to the dormitories, searching for any hint of Louis’ room. She found it quickly, as one door had the big, fat carving “LOUIS” on it.

Without any hesitation, she knocked lightly and entered the room.

The sight in front of her eyes broke her heart. The room was as dark as she found the music room, curtains closed tightly. A broken guitar was placed in one corner and the desk was covered in torn sheets of music. It took her some time, before she discovered the miserable creature on the bottom bunk bed. Head on his knees, Louis didn’t even notice Clementine had entered his room. He had been like this since he returned with the others. His condition only got worse, when the girl he cared so much for was missing and later on found sick. He hasn’t visited her though, the thought to face her in his own broken state was just to embarrassing for him.

“Louis”, Clementine whispered shocked. Once again the guilt was stabbing her in the chest like a knife. She didn’t have the courage to come closer, hell, she was loosing confidence to even be in the same room as him each moment going by.

Louis raised his head to look at her. When he saw Clementine alive and kicking he flashed a weak smile, but of course he knew, she wouldn’t buy it. The musician got out of his bed, to make his way to the girl he still loved despite everything. Yet again he smiled and raised one arm to caress her cheek in a loving manner, thinking:

“ _I’m so glad you’re alright.”_

But he couldn’t tell her that. He couldn’t tell her anything. Tears were forming in Clementines eyes. This was so much worse, than anything she had ever experienced. A person she cared about, in pain, but not only physical pain, but more than anything heartache. Louis had lost one of the things, that made him who he was. He was suffering. And it was Clementine’s fault. When Louis noticed the water in her eyes, he backed away. Making his way towards the desk, to grab one of the sheets. He avoided looking at what was written on it before. It was most likely another song, he would never be able to sing. He quickly scribbled something on it and showed it to the girl.

“ _Don’t be sad. Go_ _see_ _the others, life is good :)”_

Clementine knew more than enough, that he wasn’t writing his real thoughts. But she left anyways, when he insisted he’d be fine on his own. Now, Clementine was the leader. She didn’t get to break down over the agony a friend … or more than a friend experienced. She was supposed to find a way to make him feel better, fast.

She thought about it.

Louis used to be all about jokes, he loved a comfortable atmosphere with games and music. Now all those things depressed him. She needed to bring the joy of those things back to him. Maybe she could write him a note, to get him out of his room. But she doubted it would work that easily.

Actually… it was worth a try.

Clementine returned to her room, where AJ was already waiting for her.

“Hey, kiddo”, she greeted him and ruffled his hair. “How was your day?”

“Good”, AJ responded. “Omar showed me how to cook mushroom stew!”

The girl laughed. “Sounds like fun.”

“It was”, the kid said. “How is Louis?”

“Not good”, Clementine mumbled. She really needed to find a way to cheer him up. Maybe the note wasn’t such a bad idea after all. She pulled out the writing pad, AJ used to draw on and ripped a small piece out of it.

“What are you doing?”, the 6-year-old asked.

“I’m writing something for Louis to feel better.”  
“Can I draw him something?”

“Sure.”

It warmed her heart to see AJ caring about the boy she liked. She didn’t know what she would’ve done if AJ wouldn’t have liked the other students. The girl pulled a pencil out of the drawer and began to write.

_Louis,_

_Meet me in Marlon’s office in 2 hours._

_Don’t be late, I dare you :p_

_\- Clem_

_PS. The drawing is from AJ_

She folded the note carefully, including AJ’s drawing of him and Louis hitting the “Walker-Pinata” together. It was kinda cute. When she was done, she sneaked back to Louis room and slid the note through the gap between the door and the floor.

She heard someone moving inside the room and disappeared. Louis reading it was the first step.

When she returned to her room and told AJ Louis got the note, he was exited. But now she just needed a plan for what she’d do when she met him. She had to do something big. Something over the top. Like he’d have done.

Maybe she should sing. Even though she wasn’t good at it, just as a joke.

No. It would only remind Louis, of what he loved to do but can’t anymore. She tried to think over and over again, what make him happy.

_Music, Jokes, Games …_

_Music, Jokes, Games …_

Games!

Before the fight, they played truth or dare. That was fun! Well, maybe he couldn’t stand so many people right now. But if only the two of them played … Quickly she ripped more and more pieces out of the writing pad, to write either “truth” or “dare” on it, so they wouldn’t have to speak. She also decided to bring the pad for Louis. AJ could get another one sometime. Still, it didn’t seem enough to Clementine. She felt like, she had to do more. Something more personal. From her to him. Something … _meaningful._ Like…

And then she had an idea. It would take her some time to prepare it though, she needed to hurry.

-

Two hours later Clem was on her way to the office. A glass with truth and dares in one hand and something else in her back pocket, so Louis wouldn’t see it until it was time. She was a bit late, but in the end she just hope Louis would show up at all. When she saw the door open at the end of the hallway, the girl was exited. He’d be alright. Soon enough.

Louis sat in the shadows underneath a window. The clouded sun was lighting up his pale face at least a bit and when he saw Clementine entering the room, he once again forced a smile onto his face, but the girl shook her head.

“ _I’m gonna make you genuinely smile again.”_ , she thought to herself and sat down. Presenting Louis the truth or dare game and giving him the writing pad and the pencil. He managed to bring out a small chuckle. And they started playing. Clementine was first.

“It’s a truth”, she stated. Louis wrote down something on the pad. He wanted to know, whether Clementine has been on a date before.

“You do know in what kind of world we live in?”, the girl joked. “No, I never dated.”

Louis pulled a truth as well. Clementine thought for a moment.

“Have you ever kissed someone? Uh… before me, I mean”, she asked awkwardly.

Louis looked embarrassed for a moment, but he grinned – an honest grin – and nodded.

“Who?”, Clementine shot, but Louis just shook his head. He wouldn’t tell. Great.

The Game went on for a while, until Louis pulled the last paper.

A dare.

Clementine was waiting for this one and smiled. Louis looked concerned for a moment, like he was scared of what she would want from him.

“I dare you to read this letter”, she said and pulled out the sheet of paper she had prepared and handed it to him.

He was surprised, looking from her to the letter and then back into her eyes. He started to read.

_Louis,_

_I really don’t know how to start letters, but here I am, writing to you. I know you’re hurting and I can’t stand it. But I also know, you’ll be alright. I promise you, you’ll be alright. And I’ll make sure of it. You mean the world to me, Lou, and I messed it up. So I can’t bring your tongue back, but I can try to fix your soul. And you better look out, cause that’s what I’m gonna do, until you’re back with us again. We’ve got all the time we want, so take some of it to think of what would make you feel better – and let me know then._

_Just so you know, you suck when you’re depressed._

_(just kidding, you know you’re even awesome when you’re down)_

_So “turn that frown upside down” and let us be awesome together again, okay?_

_Love you, Louis!_

_\- Clem_

_PS. Please keep playing the piano, I love waking up to it ;)_

Louis let his hand, that was holding the letter, sink and with it sunk Clementine’s heart. This was not the reaction she had expected. She would’ve expected a smile, tears maybe, or just something to let her know he’d try to cheer up, but not this … panic? Disgust maybe? She didn’t even know.

In a flash Louis stood upright and stumbled backwards, avoiding Clementine’s look. Within seconds he was gone, leaving the girl alone and confused.

-

Returning to her room, Clementine refused to tell AJ what had happened. Hell, she didn’t even know, what happened. She just knew, her plan failed and Louis was probably worse now. _Stupid!,_ Clementine thought and slammed her fist on the desk.

It was then when she heard a small knock, and a paper sheet appeared under the door.

Slowly, she picked it up.

_H_ _ey Clem,_

_Sorry I left. Don’t want you to get the wrong idea._

_I left, cause … you know, I was kinda overwhelmed of your letter._

_And I felt like any reaction wouldn’t be enough to honor it._

_I can’t speak. Or sing. Or laugh._

_It hurt, but it’s alright now. I’ll live with it._

_I’ll be fine, as long as I can still do this one thing._

_Now open the door._

She did. Behind it stood Louis, already waiting with a small note in his hands.

“ _This”,_ it said. And before Clementine could ask what it was about, his lips were on hers. It was a soft and sweet, but longing kiss. Like everything he wanted, was depending on her. The girl had very few time to react, before the kiss was over again. Louis scratched his neck awkwardly, but was unable to hide the obvious biggest smile in the world. This was what Clementine wanted to see again. His incredible smile she loved.

“So...”, she started. “Can I get this as a ‘I still like you’, or?”

Louis looked down at her, giving her a meaningful smirk. And sometimes that said more than a thousand words ever could.

He turned the small note around, so it read:

“ _I loved your letter._

_At least I can give you as many love letters as I like, without it being weird!”_

And Clementine knew she already couldn’t wait for one to arrive.


End file.
